Welcome everyone to the final episode of the We Have Cancer podcast.  Glenn Hebert from the Horse Radio Network and Katie Krimitsos of the Women’s Meditation Network pay tribute to Lee Silverstein. For those of you that may not have heard, we lost Lee a few weeks ago and we wanted to do one final episode on the We Have Cancer podcast to honor what he meant to the cancer community and also to the podcast community.

Katie and I will talk a bit about our time with Lee and then we want to play for you one of the final interviews that Lee did with the Man up to Cancer podcast where he talked about dying, hospice and how he was at peace.  

Rest in Peace Lee, we all love you!

My buddy, Tim McDonald, joins me to share his story of dealing with stage 4 colon cancer and is journey to find a liver donor.

Please help spread Tim's message by sharing this link: http://timsliver.com/

Follow Tim here:

On Twitter: twitter.com/tamcdonald

On Instagram: instagram.com/timamcdonald 

On LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/timamcdonald

On this episode of WE Have Cancer, stage 4 throat cancer survivor Marc Julien shares with Lee the brutal truth of his experience with radiation therapy on his road to remission, and his newfound passion today for spreading awareness and fundraising for pediatric cancer research. He proudly says cancer is the best thing to ever happen to him, remission or not, because it’s given him the perspective, patience, and appreciation for life’s most priceless and precious moments. 

Marc Julien became a first-time father just three weeks before his stage 4 throat cancer diagnosis. His wife Cortney became a rockstar caretaker in more ways than one as Marc underwent 7 weeks of intense and “excruciating” radiation therapy to treat the metastatic squamous cell carcinoma in his left lymphoid and tonsil. Now in remission, he’s been training the last two and a half years as a cyclist to compete in the Race Across America with a team of 19 others who have also been impacted by cancer in their own way. Marc and his team have a fundraising goal of $500,000 for pediatric cancer research.

• Diagnosed with Stage 4 Cancer, 3 Weeks After Becoming a Father

A cancerous lump was found in Marc’s neck that had been growing for a few months, right before his daughter was born. She was born May 10th, and by June 5th Marc was diagnosed with stage 4 cancer in his left lymph node and left tonsil.

• How Did Mark's Wife React to his Diagnosis?

Right after the baby was born, Marc got a biopsy. It was a week’s wait for the results to come in. Marc says he and his wife shared feelings of disappointment and fear for the future, and all the uncertainty that lay ahead. 

• Was it Hard to Be "In the Moment" with His Newborn Daughter?

Marc says he "kind of blocked out" those early days, but that his wife and daughter came to support him at every single radiation therapy session. Everyone involved in his treatment also looked forward to seeing newborn Ella there to support her dad.

• Stage 4 Throat Cancer to Remission: What Did it Take?

When Marc met his first doctor in Miami, he was told he would go through two weeks of treatment and get back to his life. Marc didn’t want anything to be sugar coated, so he sought out a second opinion, just in case. He knew he needed to fire that first doctor from Miami when the second doctor told him the harsh reality that Marc was actually in for; it was not going to be a two week scenario. It was 7 weeks of extremely intense radiation therapy. 

• “Treatment was excruciating.”

Marc shares the harsh reality of weeks and weeks of radiation therapy for his throat cancer, and how the pain and side effects magnified week after week. The chemotherapy after the radiation was still tough, but Marc says the radiation was the hardest part of his treatment by far.

• How Did Having Cancer "Change" Him?

Marc shares, “The person I was before I was diagnosed isn’t someone I recognize anymore.” He says he’s much more patient now, and he’s more present and appreciative with his loved ones. He believes he’s a better father, husband, and friend...

I had the pleasure of meeting Dana at the 12th annual Call-on Congress. She became very involved in cancer advocacy efforts after losing her husband Jean to colon cancer on Mother’s Day, 2015. He was only 43-years-old. Her 7-year-old  son will need to begin screening at age 25. Also, her32-year-old brother recently had precancerous cells […]

The post Honoring Her Husband’s Memory Through Her Advocacy Work, With Dana Georges appeared first on The Colon Cancer Podcast.

This story of Gina’s journey appeared in the 2017 issue of On The Rise and was written by our late friend, Dr. Tom Marsilje. Gina Benedetti may be about the happiest and most hopeful person diagnosed with advanced colorectal cancer (CRC) that you have ever met – and her hope and happiness are infectious! This […]

The post Teaching Hope and Happiness in the Face of Cancer appeared first on The Colon Cancer Podcast.

Matt and Nikki Moore met while they were in college. They fell in love and were married a short time later. In late 2015, while pregnant with their first child, Matt was diagnosed with Stage IV Colon Cancer at the age of 32. Before his death, Matt wanted to inspire people to live life to […]

The post Honoring Her Husband’s Legacy With Nikki Moore of #LiveMoore appeared first on The Colon Cancer Podcast.

In this bonus episode Dr. Andrew Albert returns to the show for an informal conversation about colon cancer screening and awareness. He and I talked about embarrassment, stigmas, poop and more. How do we get young people, and their doctors, to recognize their symptoms and understand that there’s no such thing as “too young” for […]

The post Talking Colon Cancer Screening and Awareness With Dr. Andrew Albert appeared first on The Colon Cancer Podcast.

Paul Shadle was diagnosed with stage IV colorectal cancer in 2016 after noticing symptoms on a family vacation. He had dismissed prior feelings of fatigue and chalked it up to getting older. On vacation, he had bloating and cramping in his abdomen, later noticing blood in his stool. When Paul was diagnosed, the disease had […]

The post Getting Men To Discuss Their Colon Cancer Symptoms, With Paul Shadle appeared first on The Colon Cancer Podcast.

Tara (pronounced Tar-uh) Principali was diagnosed with Stage 2 rectal cancer five years ago at the age of 30. Though she once lived an unhealthy lifestyle, weighing as much as 270 lbs., she dedicated herself to fitness and healthy eating prior to her diagnosis and lost 130 lbs. In addition to the rectal cancer diagnosis Tara […]

The post Colon Cancer’s Tattooed Pinup Girl, Tara Principali appeared first on The Colon Cancer Podcast.

Julienne Edwards was finishing law school, dreaming of her new career. God, as they say, had other plans and at the agee of 26 she was diagnosed with stage IV colon cancer. Julienne is the Grass Roots Advocacy Manager for Fight CRC. Links Mentioned In The Show Fight CRC Clinical Trial Finder @Jules_GEdwards on Twitter […]

The post Leading Grass Roots Advocacy While Dealing With Her Stage IV Diagnosis appeared first on The Colon Cancer Podcast.

Danielle and Mike met when they were teenagers. “We were best friends” they told me. When she was just 17, Danielle was diagnosed with Stage III colon cancer. Nine years later she again would be diagnosed with colon cancer; this time it was Stage 1. Initial genetic testing was inconclusive. Later on she would learn […]

The post Our Seventeen Years With Colon Cancer and Each Other appeared first on The Colon Cancer Podcast.

Happy New Year! There is much to look forward to in 2018. In March, I celebrate my 7th “cancerversary.” This is probably why, being Stage IV, my oncologist called me an “outlier.” I’ll take that! Next month The Colon Cancer Podcast will celebrate its 3rd anniversary. Also, on February 8th – 10th I will be […]

The post Her Attitude and Spiritualness Helped Get Her Through Rectal Cancer appeared first on The Colon Cancer Podcast.

On this episode of WE Have Cancer, Lee is joined by actress and singer Erin Cronican to chat about her experience battling stage 4 metastatic breast cancer, continuing to perform and produce plays with her theater company, and blogging her entire journey since 1998. Erin speaks candidly about the roles of grief and gratitude in her life, and the comfort she finds in her work and daily routine. 

Erin Cronican is an award-winning director, actor, and singer based in New York. She currently serves as Executive Artistic Director at The Seeing Place Theater in New York City. In 2018, she was diagnosed with stage 4 metastatic breast cancer, and has been undergoing chemotherapy, treatments, and scans ever since. She has been blogging since the 90’s and continues to document her life at her self-titled blog, “The Erin Cronicals,” where she provides transparency, awareness, and levity as she navigates her cancer journey.

• Do we owe anyone vulnerability?

Sometimes vulnerability and openness can be a double-edged sword. When Erin found out she had stage 4 breast cancer, she went through surgery during the midst of production with her theatre company.

• "I wanted my art to stand on its own."

Erin started chemotherapy in March 2019, and was scheduled to open a show in April 2019. She lost 40 pounds in 4 months due to a tumor leaning on her adrenal gland. She says when she started the show, she was not the energetic person people expected her to be. Critics found all kinds of reasons to call her the “weak link” of the show; they had no idea she had breast cancer.

• Normalize the Daily Struggle 

Erin says, in a way, all cancer patients are actors to a certain extent. Everyone puts on a face around family members so they don’t worry as much, we downplay our feelings, friends tell us “Oh you look great!” 

• The Comfort of Routine, Blogging, and Storytelling

Erin started blogging back in the 1990’s while she was in college. She learned to code websites, and started writing a daily diary on her HTML website. She started her current blog when she moved to NYC in 2005. When she was diagnosed with stage 2 breast cancer in 2015, the blog morphed into being more medically driven.

• Grief and Gratitude Can Coexist

Erin explains on her blog how she can be grieving the life that she used to have, and also be grateful for the life she has now. She wrote that two months before her mother’s death; and now she's also dealing with the grief of losing a parent and the collective grief of living through a pandemic. Sometimes in the cancer community there’s a toxic positivity aspect; it’s okay to make room for grief. 

• “I’m grateful for my chemotherapy.”

When her blood counts are too low and she can’t get chemo, Erin admits she's very sad. She considers it to be medicine and nothing toxic. Since she's been so stable recently, she's getting her scans every four months instead of every three. She says the "scanxiety" she feels is more a concern in having to change her regimen and less about worrying if the cancer comes back.

I learned of Sasha’s story through a Faces of Blue profile from The Colon Cancer Coalition. Here’s the article: 18 months, 78 weeks, 546 days, 13104 hours, 786240 minutes. I heard him, but I didn’t really hear him. I stared into his face trying to keep composure. Eighteen months with a good quality of life […]

The post Her Colorectal Cancer Symptoms Were Dismissed and She’s Happy To Be Alive appeared first on The Colon Cancer Podcast.

Matthew Dons, originally from the U.K. and now living in Japan was diagnosed with terminal colon cancer in 2016. I was introduced to Matthew by Dr. Andrew Albert who was a previous guest on the podcast. During our conversation Matthew talked extensively about the various treatment options that he’s explored including Proton Beam Therapy. Matthew […]

The post A Conversation About a Terminal Colon Cancer Diagnosis and More, With Matthew Dons appeared first on The Colon Cancer Podcast.

Ed Yakacki III first appeared on The Colon Cancer Podcast in April, 2015 – http://thecoloncancerpodcast.com/010. During that interview Ed talked about his his experience with colorectal cancer; a disease that his doctors have now said he’s beaten. Unfortunately, Ed had many more cancer battles in front of him. Since beating colorectal cancer, Ed has been […]

The post Colorectal Cancer, Thyroid Cancer, Ewing’s Sarcoma – Ed Yakacki III Is a Fighter appeared first on The Colon Cancer Podcast.

Dave Dubin is a 2-time colon cancer survivor and the third generation in his family with Lynch Syndrome. He founded Aliveandkickn.org with the mission “To improve the lives of individuals and families affected by Lynch Syndrome and associated cancers through research, education, and screening.” A key component of Aliveandkickn.org is the Heroic Registry. This registry “allows […]

The post I Am Alive and Kickin; An Interview With Lynch Syndrome and Colon Cancer Survivor David Dubin appeared first on The Colon Cancer Podcast.

2 1/2 year survivor, Joy Freedman shared her thoughts on the 2017 Tomorrow Can’t Wait Colorectal Cancer Alliance conference.

The post 2017 Tomorrow Can’t Wait – Interview With Joy Freedman appeared first on The Colon Cancer Podcast.

On November 1st, 2017 CEO, Michael Sapienza, made an exciting announcement about the rebranding of The Colon Cancer Alliance to the new Colorectal Cancer Alliance. Listen to this announcement followed by an interview with Michael about this new initiative.

The post A Nation of Allies; the New Colorectal Cancer Alliance appeared first on The Colon Cancer Podcast.

Noel Doheny, CEO of Epigenomics, spoke with me during Tomorrow Can’t Wait, the 2017 Colorectal Cancer Alliance conference. Epigenomics has developed the first FDA  and PMA approved liquid biopsy test to screen for colorectal cancer.

The post A Blood Test to Screen For Colorectal Cancer? Epigenomics Has It appeared first on The Colon Cancer Podcast.

When photographer, Scott Wilson, was diagnosed with Stage IV Colon Cancer and was told chemotherapy meant avoiding direct sunlight, placing serious constraints on his landscape photography career, he set about creating a new Colorado wildlife portfolio, shot entirely Through the Window of his car. The result is a compelling visual journey through Scott’s year-long triumph […]

The post Through The Window – A Photographic Tale of Cancer Recovery appeared first on The Colon Cancer Podcast.

Dr. Andrew Albert is a Board Certified Gastroenterologist and serves patients in Chicago at his practice, Chicago Gastro. After losing a patient to colon cancer he was at his wit’s end. “Colon Cancer is 95% preventable if people would only get screened” he said. An avid cyclist, Dr. Albert decided to voice his frustration and […]

The post How One Doctor Is Working to Increase Colorectal Cancer Screenings appeared first on The Colon Cancer Podcast.

A cancer diagnosis can be overwhelming. The emotions behind hearing the words “you have cancer” can often cloud a patient’s ability to comprehend the information being shared by the medical team as well as the patient’s ability to ask important questions. Eddie Leigh is a 20 year survivor of colorectal cancer and is the Founder […]

The post How to Communicate With Your Healthcare Team, With Eddie Leigh appeared first on The Colon Cancer Podcast.

On this episode of WE Have Cancer, seasoned Hollywood voice actor Rob Paulsen shares his unique story battling throat cancer, and the important roles laughter and joy played in his treatment and recovery. Rob brings along some of his most famous characters to put a smile on everyone’s faces during this bright and inspiring episode.

Rob Paulsen is one of Hollywood’s busiest and most gifted voice performers. If you don’t recognize his name, you may recognize some of his most famous characters, including: Raphael and Donatello from Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, Pinky from Pinky and the Brain, Yakko from Animaniacs, and many, many others. He was diagnosed with throat cancer at age 60, and the journey of his treatment inspired him to write and publish his own story, Voice Lessons, which is now available in both print and audiobook format. 

• The Joy of Making People Laugh

Rob deeply believes laughter is healing and is one of the keys to health and wellbeing. He says, "Laughter is the best medicine because you can’t overdose and the refills are free!"

• Diagnosed with Throat Cancer at Age 60

Rob's ENT Doctor found a lump on the side of his neck and performed a biopsy. When he got the news with his throat cancer diagnosis, all he could think was how lucky he was to have such a long, fulfilling life. 

• "Everyone was so Kind"

Rob says everyone involved in his case was kind and professional and patient, and that the compassion was remarkable. He believes some people just have a true calling, and it’s a heroic thing to watch.

• Giving Back to Medical Practitioners with Laughter

When people find out what Rob does, it makes everyone joyful. He shares how he was always making his practitioners laugh, which made him feel like a million bucks. He says, "If I get to lighten their load a little bit, that’s all I can ask for."

• Eh, What's Up, Doc?

Rob shares a special moment of getting to meet Mel Blanc before he passed. Blanc was the voice of countless famous cartoon characters, including Bugs Bunny, Daffy Duck, and Barney Rubble. Rob says he learned a lot from him and still carries those lessons with him.

• Learning to Embrace the Unexpected

Rob shares he was not particularly good at living in the moment before his diagnosis. He used to “what if” himself to death, but since his treatment he's learned to take life one day at a time. 

• Why He Wrote His Book, "Voice Lessons"

Rob says, "I’m not a movie star, the characters that I voice are the famous ones. I thought the last thing the world needs was another celebrity bio from another 'non-celebrity.'" After his throat cancer diagnosis, he became very involved in his treatment in terms of trying to learn as much as possible. Then he thought it might be a great story, which then turned into a great audiobook.

• Rob Pauslen's Biggest Lesson

Most people do everything on their power to avoid having difficult conversations. I can’t think of a more difficult conversation then having to tell your children you have cancer. I’ve had to do this on several occasions and even though I’m the parent of adult children it is incredibly hard. I couldn’t imagine having to […]

The post How to Talk to Your Children About Your Cancer appeared first on The Colon Cancer Podcast.

Many of our listeners know Dr. Tom Marsilje. Tom was a guest on the show in 2016. He is currently crowdfunding a UCSD (University of California, San Diego) CRC clinical trial. Because of the timing of this critical project, along with the challenges that The Colon Cancer Podcast experienced due to Hurricane Irma, we decided […]

The post Creating and Crowdfunding a Colorectal Cancer Clinical Trial appeared first on The Colon Cancer Podcast.

Like so many young Colon Cancer Survivors, Sarah DeBord was told her symptoms were “probably hemorrhoids.” Several years later she was diagnosed with Stage 3 Colon Cancer. Having recently completed her 125th round of chemotherapy, Sarah says her disease is stable. During our conversation we discussed: Her work with the Colon Cancer Coalition The Colon […]

The post What Can Cancer Do To Your Marriage? appeared first on The Colon Cancer Podcast.

Tabitha Cavanagh was diagnosed with Stage III Colon Cancer in January of 2017. She was 31 years old and had a little girl and had just gotten married. Tabitha completed chemotherapy in July of 2017 and immediately plunged herself into exercise as a way to heal her mind and body. On her Facebook page, Grit […]

The post Tabitha Cavanagh Finds Her Healing Through Helping Others appeared first on The Colon Cancer Podcast.

Dr. Cannon is a specialty care physician board certified in medical oncology. He has a special interest in management of gastrointestinal malignancies including colorectal cancer. Dr. Cannon is the clinical director and moderator of the weekly molecular tumor board at Inova, which matches patients with targeted therapies based on molecular diagnostics. He is very interested […]

The post What Every Colorectal Cancer Patient Should Know, With Dr. Tim Cannon appeared first on The Colon Cancer Podcast.

Deb Fox has made it her mission to help the members of the ostomy community. She has created a private Facebook group – OstoMyFamily – to provide those with ostomies a private, safe forum to discuss all things ostomy. Her websites – ostomy211.com and ostomy211.org -provide numerous resources, along with support, for the ostomy community. Deb received […]

The post Supporting the Ostomy Community, With Deb Fox appeared first on The Colon Cancer Podcast.

I first met Valarie Schlosser at the 2015 Colon Cancer Alliance annual conference. Her smile and positive outlook on life immediately caught my attention. We joked that even though we both lived in Tampa, FL we had to travel to Phoenix to meet each other. Since that meeting I’ve had the pleasure of working with […]

The post Valarie Schlosser Gives Colon Cancer Patients Everywhere H.O.P.E.S appeared first on The Colon Cancer Podcast.

Ann Favreau is a retired teacher, published author, and consummate volunteer.  She describes herself as a traveler who marvels at the awesome and finds wonder in the ordinary. Here is her story: If you had told me in 1988 that enduring hours of surgery to have my rectum and part of my colon removed due […]

The post Surviving Colorectal Cancer and Thriving With an Ostomy for 29 years appeared first on The Colon Cancer Podcast.

A couple of month’s ago I received an email from fellow survivor and former podcast guest, Stacy Hurt. She said she recently attended a presentation where Sage Bolte was the presenter and I had to have her as a guest on the podcast. Dr. Sage Bolte serves as the Executive Director of Life with Cancer […]

The post Sex and Intimacy While Dealing With Cancer, With Dr. Sage Bolte appeared first on The Colon Cancer Podcast.

Chel Hamilton has been a Hypnotherapist since 2007 and specializes in helping people overcome anxiety. I met Chel at the 2017 Podfest podcasting conference. A fellow podcaster, Chel’s podcast, Meditation Minis, consists of short (around 15 minutes) guided meditations. Chel’s calming voice along with the soothing background music can help ease the stress and anxiety pre and […]

The post Do You Suffer From Scanxiety? Chel Hamilton Says Do This. appeared first on The Colon Cancer Podcast.

On this episode of WE Have Cancer, womens’ cancer surgeon Dr. Valena Wright, MD chats with Lee about her decades of experience treating gynecologic cancers, and the many preventative measures women may not know about. From symptoms of ovarian cancer to the power of positivity to the benefits of music therapy, Dr. Wright shares her professional advice to empower women to be prepared and informed when it comes to their health and well-being. 

Dr. Valena Wright is a board-certified gynecologic oncologist and surgeon with more than 25 years of clinical practice experience in the realm of women’s health. When Valena lost her older sister to Stage IC Ovarian Cancer, she knew she wanted to start advocating even more about women’s cancer prevention. Her new book, It’s Time You Knew: The Power of Your Choices to Prevent Women’s Cancer is available now. 

• It's All in the Family

Valena's Grandmother was one of the first public health nurses on Prince Edward Island, at a time when not many women had access to such an education. Her trailblazing success greatly inspired Valena to enter the medical field as well.

• "Not Your Mother's Hysterectomy"

Valena says she thinks her grandmother would be astonished by today’s technology, and by how surgery is performed today; but Valena can also imagine her shaking her finger at today's medical practitioners, because public health isn’t what it should be.

• The Most Common Women's Cancer

The most common cancer Dr. Wright treats as a gynecologic oncologist is uterine cancer, which arises in the lining of the uterus and usually occurs after menopause, but not always. Sometimes pre-menopausal women dismiss the symptoms of abnormal bleeding that can point to uterine cancer.

• What are the Symptoms of Ovarian Cancer?

Ovarian Cancer symptoms can be subtle, but might include bloating, feeling full even if you haven’t eaten, fatigue, increased urinary frequency. A pelvic mass can grow quite large over time, even if you haven't noticed any subtle symptoms.

• Should You Rely on Family History?

About 20% of ovarian cancers can be hereditary, but family history is not always reliable without genetic testing. After her sister’s ovarian cancer diagnosis, Valena had genetic testing done, and elected to have risk-reducing surgery.

• Diet, Exercise, and What Else?

Diseases can affect women in different ways than men; heart disease is the perfect example. Valena strongly believes it's important to be able to speak up and ask for what you need, and to understand the gynecologic anatomy. And, since many women are frequently multitasking, prioritizing a full night's sleep is extremely important for well-being, mental health, and stress. 

• Integrated Medicine for Women's Wellbeing

Integrated medicine can help with the mind-to-body relationship in patients. It’s important to remain positive because the brain looks for what we focus on the most, which is critically important for cancer patients. Valena reminds listeners, "there is always hope."

• The Rejuvenating Power of

Dave Bell was diagnosed in April of 2015 when he was 44 years old. It was stage 3 colon cancer. Treatment included removal of his appendix and half of his colon. He talked to me about his diagnosis, treatment and his work with The Colon Cancer Prevention Project. Dave talked about the important role his wife and three boys played […]

The post Dave Bell Talks About How One Person Can Influence State Healthcare Legislation appeared first on The Colon Cancer Podcast.

Bruce Langford is a Mindfulness Life Coach and founder of the highly acclaimed Mindfulness Mode Podcast. Bruce helps professionals, entrepreneurs, team leaders, parents and CEOs decrease anxiety and stress, by helping them change their mindset. Having spent 10 years working in the field of bullying prevention, Bruce realizes that many individuals actually bully themselves, resulting in […]

The post Using Mindfulness to Ease the Stress and Anxiety of Cancer, With Bruce Langford appeared first on The Colon Cancer Podcast.

  If you ask Chris Snowardt, he’ll tell you that colon cancer was the best thing to ever happen to him. He said it made him a better husband, father, friend and mentor. During this podcast interview, Chris Snowardt talked about his roller coaster like experience with colorectal cancer. He talked about how he discovered his […]

The post From Ironman Triathlete to Colon Cancer Comeback, With Chris Snowardt appeared first on The Colon Cancer Podcast.

Monica’s Story Monica Hernandez – Whimsy the Blue Cancer Fairy – was diagnosed with Familial Adenomatous Polyposis (FAP) when she was 15. The affects of FAP has resulted in countless surgeries. Monica has had her colon and gallbladder removed and has a permanent ileostomy. When she was in her 30’s Monica decided to have a hysterectomy. She […]

The post Hope Is What Gets Monica Hernandez, A.K.A. Whimsy The Blue Cancer Fairy, Through Her Tough Days appeared first on The Colon Cancer Podcast.

Emily Piekut is the Advocacy Manager for Fight Colorectal Cancer (Fight CRC). In this role, she activates survivors, caregivers and loved ones who have been touched by colorectal cancer to engage with their members of Congress and change policy. In addition to managing Fight CRC’s advocacy programs, Emily works closely with the Grassroots Action Committee (GAC), oversees […]

The post Calling On Congress To Help Colorectal Cancer Patients, With Emily Piekut appeared first on The Colon Cancer Podcast.

Stacy was diagnosed with Stage IV colorectal cancer on her 44th birthday, September 17th, 2014 after experiencing symptoms of abdominal pain and bleeding.  Stacy put off a visit to her doctor since she was a health-conscious, athletic, non-smoker who maintained a normal weight.  The symptoms were merely “an annoying inconvenience.”  At the time, she was […]

The post Stacy Hurt – Overcoming Stage IV Colorectal Cancer Through Integrative Medicine, Diet and Faith appeared first on The Colon Cancer Podcast.

Riley Castro was diagnosed with stage 4 colon cancer when she was 24 years old and 17 weeks pregnant. She went through 4 rounds of chemotherapy and exploratory surgery while pregnant. Riley delivered a healthy baby girl 5 weeks early and then completed 9 more rounds of a more intense chemotherapy. After having major surgery […]

The post Riley Castro Was Diagnosed With Colon Cancer While 17 Weeks Pregnant appeared first on The Colon Cancer Podcast.

Just over two years ago, when I was 28, I was diagnosed with stage 4 colon cancer. To say I knew nothing about cancer at that point in my life would be a gross understatement. In fact, finding out there was no stage 5 was a huge shock all on its own! How could I, […]

The post Stephen Estrada Is The Coach of His Colorectal Cancer Treatment Team appeared first on The Colon Cancer Podcast.

It was right before Christmas and Josh Katrick had just completed his 8th round of chemotherapy treatment for his colon cancer when a bit of luck came his way. He had just won a competition: free pizza for a year from his favorite neighborhood restaurant in Pennsylvania. But instead of planning on which toppings he’d […]

The post Colon Cancer Patient Wins Free Pizza For a Year, Donates it to Food Bank appeared first on The Colon Cancer Podcast.

Jon Platten was born and raised in Alexandria, Virginia. Just outside of Washington, D.C. I went to High School at TC Williams High School, if you’ve seen the movie, “Remember the Titans”, that is where I went to High School. I excelled in basketball, football and was terrible (horrific may be a better description of […]

The post Conquering Mt. Everest After Conquering Colon Cancer, With Jon Platten appeared first on The Colon Cancer Podcast.

On this episode of WE Have Cancer, motivational speaker and testicular cancer survivor Matthew Ode shares his inspiring advice for seeking purpose and joy during your cancer journey. From the power of finding a supportive community to practicing vulnerability to dealing with body image struggles, Matt delivers his top tips with optimism and grace. Matt’s advice for finding peace and purpose is to focus on what you can control, and allow yourself to be supported and encouraged by your inner circle of loved ones.

Matt Ode was 24 when doctors discovered an 11cm tumor in his small intestine, and soon diagnosed him with stage 3 testicular cancer. He even fell into a non-induced coma for two weeks. Cancer free since March 2017, Matt has since founded Mustaches for Matt, started a supportive survivorship Facebook group with over 4000 members, and shares his story as a motivational speaker about overcoming adversity.

• How Matt Inspires Others While Staying True to Himself

Matt says he always tries to find some joy in everything, and he doesn't change himself to make other people happy. He says, "Authenticity is the absolute key to attracting the right people in your life.” Matt believes the more vulnerable and authentic you are, the more comfortable others will feel when opening up to someone in their life. 

• Encouraging Men to Open Up

Matt believes a lot of men’s mental health issues, in general as well as within the cancer community, come from holding in their emotions. When men can open up and share and be vulnerable, anxiety begins to dwindle and men can happily, freely express who they really are. 

• Dealing with Body Image during Cancer Treatment

Matt speaks to the physical and mental effects of being a cancer survivor in your 20’s. He was a personal trainer before his testicular cancer diagnosis; a weightlifter at 8% body fat. In 8 months of intense treatment, Matt dropped from 185 to 110 pounds. To battle the body image issues, Matt says he would ask himself, "What's one thing I can do each day to progress a tiny bit?"

• Matt's Secret Weapons: Faith and Support

Exactly one year after Matt met his girlfriend, he was being released from the hospital and told he was finally cancer free. He and Lauren had just started dating when he received his diagnosis. Matt's faith is his north star, and he deeply believes that faith and loving support from his girlfriend and family are the two things that got him through treatment.

• Losing Friends After Treatment

Matt says he had amazing support while he was actively battling testicular cancer, but afterwards when he didn’t want to go back to his old life, that’s when he says he lost some old friends. Matt shares his friends expected him to go back to his old self: going out on the weekends, reliving the high school glory days, etc. Instead, Matt founded his business, Mustaches for Matt, and surrounded himself with other encouraging entrepreneurs and survivors to begin to cultivate an uplifting community.

• Testicular Cancer at Age 24

As a young, healthy, active personal trainer, Matt thought his sudden chronic back pains were related...

Matthew Mewhorter is a two year survivor of colorectal cancer. Many in the online community are familiar with Matthew’s drawings as the Cancer Owl. During our interview we discussed his experience being diagnosed and treated for colorectal cancer, his work as an art therapist and how and why he created the Cancer Owl. Lee: Matthew, […]

The post Interview With Colorectal Cancer Survivor and Artist, Matthew Mewhorter appeared first on The Colon Cancer Podcast.

Welcome to Episode 56 of The Colon Cancer Podcast. In this episode we remember our dear friend Nathan Allen and share his Christmas greeting, recorded at the Live Your Best Life mCRC symposium last month. We also interviewed David Dachinger and Tamara Green. David is a survivor of head and neck cancer and Tamara is […]

The post Meditation For Cancer Patients and Survivors, With David and Tamara appeared first on The Colon Cancer Podcast.

LEE: Good evening, Jenny. How are you? Thanks for joining me this evening. JENNY: Thanks for having me. I’m doing pretty good. LEE: Good. So we were just chatting before we went live and I’m trying to think: how did I first find out about Jenny? And I thought about it and it was absolutely […]

The post Living Life With F.A.P., With Jenny Jones of “Life’s A Polyp” appeared first on The Colon Cancer Podcast.